Don’t you cherish me to sleep
Never keep your eyelids clipped
Hold me for the pops and clicks
I was only for the father’s crib
Hair, old, long along
Your neck onto your shoulder blades
Always keep that message taped
Cross your breasts you won’t erase
I was only for your very space
Hip, under nothing
Propped up by your other one, face ‘way from the sun
Just have to keep a dialogue
Teach our bodies: haunt the cause
I was only trying to spell a loss
Joy, it’s all founded
Pincher with the skin inside
You pinned me with your black sphere eyes
You know that all the rope’s untied
I was only for to die beside
So itʼs storming on the lake
Little waves our bodies break
There’s a fire going out,
But there’s really nothing to the south
Swollen orange and light let through
Your one piece swimmer stuck to you
Sold, I’m Ever
Open ears and open eyes
Wake up to your starboard bride
Who goes in and then stays inside
Oh the demons come, they can subside
Unraveling the Poetics of “Calgary”
Bon Iver’s “Calgary” invites listeners into a dreamlike world, where memories and emotions blur into haunting imagery. The lyrics weave together vulnerability and intimacy, with lines like “Don’t you cherish me to sleep” and “Hold me for the pops and clicks” suggesting a longing for connection that is both fragile and deeply felt. Throughout the song, references to physical closeness—hair, neck, and shoulders—reflect the tangible elements of a relationship, while the recurring phrase “I was only for…” hints at a sense of impermanence or transition.
Layers of Meaning and Emotional Resonance
As the song unfolds, nature imagery such as “storming on the lake” and “swollen orange and light let through” amplifies the sense of change and emotional turbulence. The cryptic lines about dialogue and loss reveal an undercurrent of communication breakdown and the struggle to preserve love despite inevitable change. Ultimately, “Calgary” captures the bittersweet beauty of fleeting moments, painting a picture that is as mysterious as it is moving.
Song Credits
Songwriter: Justin Vernon
Release Year: 2011
Label: Jagjaguwar